MSC Student Research Grants belong to the Marine Stewardship Council’s Ocean Stewardship Fund. They pay for postgraduate research that helps a specific fishery improve its environmental performance, using the MSC Fisheries Standard as the benchmark.
Students anywhere can apply, but each project must partner with an eligible fishery and run for up to 12 months. The 2026/27 round is open now.
Benefits & funding
- £5,000–£10,000 per project, paid directly to the student.
- Covers travel, accommodation, essential equipment and other project costs, but not salary.
- Up to 12 months (18 in exceptional cases) under the 2026/27 guidance; MSC’s French funding page says up to two years.
- Interim and final reports and open data sharing are required; MSC’s grant terms require full repayment if the final report is over three months late.
Eligibility
- Current Master’s students or PhD candidates in fisheries science.
- Undergraduates who have secured a postgraduate place and will be in post by the project start; integrated Master’s students in their final year only.
- Open to students worldwide; no nationality or residence restriction is published.
- A supervisor must oversee the project.
- The partner fishery must be MSC certified, in the MSC Improvement Program, a Stage 4 Pathway Project fishery, or in a Comprehensive FIP, and must support the project.
- The research must target environmental improvements under the MSC Fisheries Standard.
Can you apply?
Here's who can apply
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Education required
Bachelor Enrolled · Master Enrolled · PhD Enrolled
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Application process
- 1Contact your local MSC representative early for guidance; other questions go to OSF@msc.org.
- 2Agree the project with an eligible fishery and your supervisor.
- 3Prepare the project proposal, outputs-and-outcomes table and budget, plus a CV and signed support letters from the supervisor and the fishery, all in English.
- 4Submit on the Ocean Stewardship Fund Grants Portal by 23:59 UTC, 28 February 2027.
Program timeline
Applications opened
4 September 2026
Application deadline
28 February 2027, 23:59 UTC
Award decisions
June 2027
Projects start
July–September 2027